Firing and shutter synchronization for use with percussive photoflash system

ABSTRACT

A striker unit is disclosed for use in the firing of percussionignitable photoflash lamps. During striking operation the unit actuates operation of a shutter and moves into percussion contact with a flashlamp. One embodiment disclosed utilizes a two-part striker unit which provides for withdrawal of the striker unit to a noninterfering position spaced from the lamp firing station.

United States Patent 1 1 3,584,555

[72] Inventor Richard J. Bresson [56 Ref re es Ci d {21] A IN xz fzg UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 590204 12/1897 Blackmore .1 95/11.5

:f $33 1,307,220 6/1919 Stra1g ht 95/11.5

m] Assignee Emma Kodakcompany 7 2,216,443 10/1940 Ma 11 m..... 431/92 RMMBN 2,972.93? 2/1961 Su1ts 95/11.5

Primary Examiner-Samuel S1 Matthews Assistant ExaminerRobert P. Greiner [54] FIRING AND H TT SY C O 0 FOR Att0rneys-Robert W. Hampton and John D. HUSSC! USE WITH PERCUSSIVE PHOTOFLASH SYSTEM 3 Claims 6 Drawing Figs ABSTRACT: A striker unit is disclosed for use in the firing of [52] U.S. Cl 95/1 1.5, percussion-ignitable photoflash lamps. During striking opera- 240/1 .3 tion the unit actuates operation of a shutter and moves into [51] Int.Cl G03b 9/70, percussion contact with a flashlamp. One embodiment dis- F2lk 5/00 closed utilizes a two-part striker unit which provides for [50] Field of Search 95/11.5; withdrawal of the striker unit to a noninterfering position 240/ l .3 spaced from the lamp firing station.

FIRING AND SHUTTER SYNCIIRONIZATION FOR USE WlTl-l PERCUSSIVE PHOTOFLASII SYSTEM CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Reference is made to copending Application Ser. No. 765,930, entitled Multilamp Flash Unit" filed Oct. 8, 1968, in the name of David E. Beach; Application Ser. No. 765,926, entitled Percussion Activatable Flash Units Having lndividual Striker Elements and Photographic Apparatus for Using Such Units filed Oct. 8, 1968, in the name of David E. Beach and Application Ser. No. 766,739, entitled Apparatus for Actuating Firing of Percussion-Ignitable Flash Lamps and Operating Mechanism Therefor" filed Oct. 11, 1968, in the name of William T. Hochreiter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to flash photography and more specifically to a firing and shutter synchronization mechanism for use with percussion-ignitable photoflash lamps.

2. Description of the Prior Art Recently, in order to obviate the necessity of providing electrical sources and circuits in photographic apparatus employing photoflash, several types of percussion-ignitable photoflash lamps have been developed. Two such percussionignitable lamps are disclosed respectively in Application Ser. No. 765,930, entitled Multilamp Flash Unit filed Oct. 8, I968, in the name of David E. Beach and Application Ser. No. 765,926, entitled Percussion Activatable Flash Units Having Individual Striker Elements and Photographic Apparatus for Using Such Units," filed Oct. 8, 1968, in the name of David E. Beach. In general such flash lamps have an envelope containing combustible material such as shredded zirconium foil and a combustion-supporting gas such as oxygen under several atmospheres pressure. These lamps include a hollow ignitiontube containing a percussion-ignitable primer charge such as a powder or solid charge of zirconium and fulminate; however, other known primer charges such as ballastic primers can be used in the ignition tubes. The ignition tube is open on one end into the lamp envelop so that upon activation of the primer charge by a sufficient percussion impact on the ignition tube or percussion cap, the combustibles inside the envelop are ignited.

In photographic apparatus utilizingpercussion strikers for firing such flash lamps it is desirable to have the striking mechanism retracted after percussion and before recocking so as not to interfere with insertion and removal of flash lamps and/or indexing rotation of multilamp flash units. One such striker mechanism for achieving this result is disclosed in Application Ser. No. 766,739, entitled Apparatus for Actuating Firing of Percussion-Ignitable Flash Lamps and Operating Mechanism Therefor, and filed Oct. l l, 1968, in the name of William T. Hochreiter. This device utilizes a cantilever spring striker which'effects percussion at a position past the springs rest condition and is moved out of interference with the flash unit by restoring forces of the spring.

In photographic apparatus using percussion-ignitable flash units it is .also desirable to provide means for accurately synchronizing the shutter operation of a camera with the ignition of the flash lamp in order to properly utilize the illumination provided thereby. Very old prior art teachings have provided one manner of achieving such synchronization. These devices provide various mechanisms for releasing a striker and simultaneously actuating a camera shutter. One such mechanism using a pneumatic actuating system is disclosed in US. Pat. No. 942,941. However, such devices do not provide for precise synchronization of the shutter and flash illumination. Further, such devices are quite cumbersome and not the type which can be incorporated in compact present-day photographic apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is addressed to the problems outlined above and provides a striker mechanism which actuates shutter operation during movement for percussion firing and which, after firing, retracts from the firing site to a noninterfering position. The disclosed embodiment of the present invention provides a two-part striker unit with the parts associated for following movement in a manner such that during firing movement of the striker unit, one part actuates shutter operation while the other continues movement to ignite a flash lamp. In this manner time lag between actuation of shutter operation and flash can be precisely regulated with compact structure. Further, by resiliently coupling the parts of the striker unit, the part which ignites the lamp is caused to retract, after percussion, towards the shutter actuating part and to a position out of interference with the flash lamp and its socket.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide improved means in photographic apparatus for synchronizing percussion-ignited flash and shutter operation.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a striker mechanism for firing percussion-ignitable flash lamps which retracts to a noninterfering position after percussion.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a two-part striker unit, one part adapted to ignite photoflash for a camera and the other part adapted to actuate picture-taking operation of the camera.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a compact mechanism for precisely synchronizing percussionignited flash and shutter operation of photographic apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art from the following detailed description read in conjunction with the attached drawings wherein like reference numerals indicate like elements and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top view, with partially schematic illustration, showing portions of a photographic apparatus with one embodiment of the present invention in its cocked or energized position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the present invention in its firing position;

FIG. 3 is a chematic illustration showing one structure with which the present invention can cooperate to actuate shutter operation;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration showing another structure with which the present invention can cooperate to actuate shutter operation;

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration showing yet another structure with which the present invention can cooperate to actuate shutter operation; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration showing still another structure with which the present invention can cooperate to actuate shutter operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 1, the base 1 and upwardly extending ignition tubes 2 of a percussion-ignitable multilamp photoflash unit such is disclosed in Application Ser. No. 765,930 entitled Multilamp Flash Unit and filed in the name of David E. Beach on Oct. 8, 1968, can be seen mounted in a supporting socket 3 of the type also disclosed in that application. The socket 3 is mounted on a camera frame C for indexing rotation during cyclic camera operations by known means (not shown).

Because photographic cameras are well known, the present description will be directed in particular to elements forming a part of, or cooperating more directly with, the present invention, camera elements not specifically shown or described being understood to be selectable from those known in the art.

Also mounted on frame C is an operating lever having an operating tab 11 which normally extends outsidethe camera housing (not shown). The operation lever 10 is pivotally mounted on pin 12 and is biased in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, against stop 13 by spring 14. The lever 10 also includes an extension 15 that is located for cooperating with a release lever which includes a release arm 21 and retaining arm 22. The release lever 20 is mounted for rotation on pin 23 and urged in a counterclockwise direction against stop 24 by spring 25. The end of retaining arm 22 is formed in a manner providing a retaining surface 26 and cam surface 27.

A striker and shutter operating unit 30 is mounted for pivotal movement on shaft 31 and includes separately movable drive member 32 and striking member 33 which are coupled by a weak spring 34. The separately movable members 32 and 33 include respectively spacing extensions 36 and 37 which are normally urged into contact by spring 34. The drive member 32 includes a tail 38 which is connected to a heavy drive spring 39 that urges drive member 32 in a counterclockwise direction towards an index pin ignition pin 2 of a received flash unit 1.

The drive member 32 also has formed thereon a cocking arm 40 which is located for contact by cocking slider 41. The slider 41 is mounted on pins 42 for movement directed by slots 43 thereof and has an output end 44 with a shoe adapted to contact the cocking arm 40. A cocking cam 45 is rotatable on shaft 46 and is connected to the film advance mechanism of the camera (not shown) for rotation in a counterclockwise direction in response to camera film advance. The slider 41 is biased by spring 48 against cocking cam surface 47 which has a configuration such that rotation of the cam 45 counterclockwise effects cocking movement of drive member 32.

A brief description of the operation of elements described thus far will now be provided in order to simplify description of elements not .yet mentioned.

With the striker and shutter operating unit 30 in the cocked position shownin FIG. 1, the operating lever 10 can be moved towards release lever 20 to actuate a picture-taking operation. It can be seen that extension 15 of lever 10 will rotate release lever 20 clockwise releasing unit 30 for movement by drive spring 39 towards the indexed ignition tube 2. It can be seen that although striking member 33 is not directly connected to spring 39, the contact of spacing extensions 36 and 37 cause the striker member 33 to follow movement of drive member 32 towards the flash unit 1. It can also be seen, particularly in FIG. 2, that the movement of drive member 32 towards flash unit 1 is stopped prior to contact with an ignition tube 2 of unit 1. It is to be particularly noted that in movement of drive member 32 onto the stop surface designated 50, the end 32a of drive member 32 passed into a shutter actuating zone designated in FIGS. 1 and 2 schematically as A. This movement of end 32a actuates operation of the camera shutter designated schematically as S in FIGS. 1 and 2 by one of the various mechanisms shown in FIGS. 3-6 which will be described subsequently.

It can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 that although drive member 32 is stopped by surface 50, striking member 33 is not stopped; and the inertia of the striker member 33 causes continued movement of the striker member 33 against the force of light spring 34 and carries portion 33a thereof into percussion contact with the indexed ignition tube 2. The percussion activates the primer charge in the tube 2 and causes ignition of the flash lamp 2 associated therewith.

After percussion contact, the light spring 34 retracts striking member 33 to its following relation with drive member 32 so as to be clear of the flash unit 1 and socket 3.

During film advance the cam 45 is rotated counterclockwise forcing slider 41 to the right, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2. The end 44 of slider 41 then moves into contact with cooking arm 40 on drive member 33 rotating the unit 30 clockwise against drive spring 39. The end 320 of drive member 32 contacts cam surface 27 of release member 20 and rotates it slightly clockwise allowing portion 32a to move into the retained position above surface 26 of the release lever as Shown in FIG. 1. After film advance and indexing of socket 3 to place a new lamp in alignment for firing the camera is ready for the next picture-taking operation.

Having now described the general operation of the percussion striking and shutter operation unit 30 of the present invention, the various embodiments which can be utilized in cooperation with unit 30 to provide synchronization of the picture-taking operation with percussion flash will be further described with reference to FIGS. 3-6. It will of course be appreciated that the various mechanisms disclosed in FIGS. 3-6 each can be utilized individually in cooperation with the drive member 32 and therefor represent alternative the mechanisms A schematically illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In FIGS. 3-6 drive member 32 is indicated schematically omitting the detailed structure described above which is not pertinent to the description of the manner in which portion 32a thereof actuates shutter operation.

In FIG. 3, it can be seen that the member 32 is used in conjunction with an impact operatable shutter 60 of known construction. Upon movement of portion 320 onto the stop 50 the portion 32a strikes an actuator arm 61 of the shutter 60 rotating the shutter clockwise to admit light into aperture of the camera. It can be seen that in its rest position on stop 50 the portion 320 is clear of actuator arm 61 so that shutter spring 63 can return the shutter 60 to its closed position against stop 64 before recocking of the drive member 32. The member 32 is cammed past arm 61 during recocking.

In FIG. 4, the portion 32a of drive member 32 releases a shutter driver 70 of known construction by contacting and depressing lug 71 of lever 72. The drive spring 73 then moves shutter driver 70 to operate a camera shutter in a known manner. Recocking of the shutter driver 70 is accomplished in a known manner after cooking of drive member 32 so that lever 72 is positioned by spring 74 for again retaining the driver 70 in its cocked position.

FIG. 5 disclosed member 32 as it can be used to actuate an electronic shutter of known-type. The portion 32a in moving onto stop 50 moves spring contact 81 to a closed position with respect to contact 82 allowing current flow from a source 83 to and operate shutter 80 in a known manner.

FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 5 however, in this instance the drive member 32 itself forms part of the circuit to the electronic shutter and upon movement of portion 32a onto contact 91 at surface 50, the circuit from source 92 is closed to operate shutter 90 in a known manner.

From the abovedescription it will be appreciated that the two part striker unit of the present invention aflords a very useful and versatile device for providing shutter synchronization with percussion flash as well as one which can be readily incorporated in compact cameras or other photographic apparatus. However, it will be appreciated that a one piece striker unit can also be used to first actuate operation of a camera shutter and then effect percussion ignition and that such a modification is considered within the scope of the present invention.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that other variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Iclaim:

1. In a camera having a shutter and means for receiving a flash lamp fireable by striking an impact receiving element located at a firing site, a combination shutter and flash actuating mechanism comprising:

a shutter operating member mounted for movement from a first position to a second position to actuate said shutter;

a stop positioned to engage and abruptly stop said shutter operating member;

a striking member resiliently coupled to said shutter operating member for movement therewith until said shutter operating member contacts said stop and movable after such contact against the bias of said resilient coupling into striking engagement with an impact receiving ele-.

ment located at said firing site and further movable by said resilient coupling to a position spaced from said firing site afler such striking contact; and

means for moving said shutter operating member from said first position to said second position.

2. In a camera having an electrical switch and a shutter timed by an electronic timing circuit actuable by closing of said switch, the improvement comprising:

means for receiving a photofiash lamp fireable by striking an impact receiving element located at a firing site;

means movable into striking engagement with an impact receiving element located at said firing site for firing said lamp; and

means movable with said firing means for closing of said switch in timed relation with said striking engagement.

3. In a camera having an electrical switch and a shutter timed by an electronic timing circuit actuable by closing of said switch, the improvement comprising:

means for receiving a photoflash lamp fireable by striking an impact receiving element located at a firing site; firing means including,

a timing circuit switch closing member mounted for movement from a first position to a second position for closing said electronic timing circuit switch;

a stop for stopping such motion of said closing member;

a striking member resiliently coupled to said switch closing member for movement therewith until said switch closing member contacts said stop and movable thereafter against the bias of said resilient coupling into striking engagement with an impact receiving element located at said firing site and further movable by said resilient coupling to a position spaced from said firing site after such striking contact; and

means for moving said switch closing member from said first position to said second position. 

1. In a camera having a shutter and means for receiving a flash lamp fireable by striking an impact receiving element located at a firing site, a combination shutter and flash actuating mechanism comprising: a shutter operating member mounted for movement from a first position to a second position to actuate said shutter; a stop positioned to engage and abruptly stop said shutter operating member; a striking member resiliently coupled to said shutter operating member for movement therewith until said shutter operating member contacts said stop and movable after such contact against the bias of said resilient coupling into striking engagement with an impact receiving element located at said firing site and further movable by said resilient coupling to a position spaced from said firing site after such striking contact; and means for moving said shutter operating member from said first position to said second position.
 2. In a camera having an electrical switch and a shutter timed by an electronic timing circuit actuable by closing of said switch, the improvement comprising: means for receiving a photoflash lamp fireable by striking an impact receiving element located at a firing site; means movable into striking engagement with an impact receiving element located at said firing site for firing said lamp; and means movable with said firing means for closing of said switch in timed relation with said striking engagement.
 3. In a camera having an electrical switch and a shutter timed by an electronic timing circuit actuable by closing of said switch, the improvement comprising: means for receiving a photoflash lamp fireable by striking an impact receiving element located at a firing site; firing means including, a timing circuit switch closing member mounted for movement from a first position to a second position for closing said electronic timing circuit switch; a stop for stopping such motion of said closing member; a striking member resiliently coupled to said switch closing member for movement therewith until said switch closing member contacts said stop and movable thereafter against the bias of said resilient coupling into striking engagement with an impact receiving element located at said firing site and further movable by said resilient coupling to a position spaced from said firing site after such striking contact; and means for moving said switch closing member from said first position to said second position. 